i have a 8 month old girl i got her a couple of weeks ago.i don't know if she went into heat or not before i got her.is there a way to tell if she went into heat before i got her? are there any signs i could look for ? no im not going to breed her and no she doesn't need to be fixed.there are no males around her ever!!
2007-02-25 14:28:17 · 6 answers · asked by jebagomes 2 in Pets ➔ Dogs
It is very likely that your dog has gone into heat before as she is 8 months old. I am not aware that there is any way to tell whether or not she has gone into heat before.
There are many other reasons to get her spayed ("fixed") besides whether or not you plan to breed her or whether or not you anticipate her ever being around males.
She could escape. In fact, it is likely that she would escape at some point, particularly when she goes into her next heat. Her instinct would be to get out of the house to find a male to mate with. If you have never seen a female dog in heat, you are in for quite a treat :). And then you have serious problems to worry about because chihuahuas have notoriously difficult births that often require caesarian sections. And that's when your chihuahua mates with another chihuahua of comparable size. You do not want to think about what would happen if your girl mates with another dog that's twice her size.
And then there are all the health problems you would have to contend with if you don't get her spayed, all of which you wouldn't have to worry about if you got her spayed.
So there is no reason your dog DOESN'T need to be fixed.
2007-02-25 14:51:19 · answer #1 · answered by Frederieka F 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
No there is no way to tell if she was in heat prior to you getting her. Once a female dog reaches puberty it begins its regular cycles of Estrus or heat which allow the dog to release eggs and reproduce. Most females have 2 cycles per year. Signs that your dog is in heat include include vaginal discharge which is clear, bleeding and swelling of the vulva. There is increased restlessness and there may be increased urination. You also may notice stray dogs hanging around your house, though the female will not accept mating at this point. This early period of heat called Proestrus, lasts between 4 -15 days depending on the size and breed of the dog along with other factors.
The next stage in the estrous cycle is the actual Estrus/heat where the dog will accept a mate and can get pregnant. Unless you are a professional dog breeder you should spay the dog before before her first heat. Some vets will spay a dog during its first heat. This Estrus lasts between 4 - 8 days and signs include the discharge stopping, ovulation (the eggs are released) and pregnancy is possible. If the dog becomes pregnant the gestation time is 58-63 days. There are no visible signs until the last 3 weeks of pregnancy when the teats will enlarge, the belly will swell and finally the birth will occur.
The 3rd stage of the cycle is called Diestrus and lasts 6 - 10 weeks. Many hormonal changes take place and the uterine walls thicken. Dogs that haven't become pregnant go through 'false pregnancy' where their mammary glands may enlarge and produce milk. They may mother toys, moan or whine, prefer extra attention or extra solitude and will show no interest in mating. The last stage in the cycle is Anestrus and will last for 15 weeks. There won't be any hormonal activity, milk production, or interest in mating. If the dog had become pregnant the birth would have already occurred and the mother will be lactating and engaging in typical mothering behaviour until she is ready to wean her puppies.
2007-02-25 22:52:06 · answer #2 · answered by Cookie 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
A 8 months old Chihuahua should have gone thru the first heat already, but you can tell for sure by looking at her nipples: a dog who hasn't been in heat yet (first time) will have flat nipples; one that has been in heat will have raised nipples. We, rescue people, use this method to know what to expect with a stray female dog (no history) If she does have the latter, not knowing if she mated or not, you're taking a great risk not to have spayed. If a bigger dog got her, she can lose her life once she goes into labor. Most Chihuahuas need C-sections in order to deliver, even when they mated with a compatible dog.
2007-02-26 00:33:20 · answer #3 · answered by amccoy1962 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
get her spayed, it reduces risk of health problems and cerrtain cancers.
also, are you going to a space station with this dog, i think that would be the only place a male dog would have trouble getting to when she is in heat
2007-02-25 22:32:56 · answer #4 · answered by Eric J 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
even if you are not going to breed her,
get her spayed.
it's healthier for her and she wont have to go in heat.
it also reduces the rick of cancer.
2007-02-27 14:52:59 · answer #5 · answered by pixie5552 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
idk wat 2 say...
2007-02-25 23:20:00 · answer #6 · answered by theBLONDE 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋